Source : Perth Now news
WARNING: Distressing content
A mother being investigated for cannibalism after allegedly murdering her four-year-old son was once required to have an interlock device for 12 months after a drink-driving offence.
The woman, 32, is accused of murdering the young boy in Wyong on the NSW Central Coast.
Neither the woman or the boy can be identified for legal reasons.
The 32-year-old went to Wyong Police Station on Saturday afternoon, with officers rushing to her home and finding the boy’s body inside.
She allegedly told police she had eaten parts of her son before the discovery of his remains, The Australian reported, with the woman set to be forced to submit to forensic testing.
In 2017, she was fined $600 and disqualified from holding a driver’s licence for three months after she was convicted of driving with a suspended licence.
Years later in 2020, the woman was required to have an interlock device for 12 months and fined $900 for mid-range drink-driving.
She was also fined an additional $700 for a charge of licence expired less than two years before.
An independent review will be held into the boy’s death after it was revealed the Department of Communities and Justice had several interactions with the woman and her child.
NSW Minister for Families and Communities Kate Washington on Monday said the last time the department responded to a report involving the pair was 18 months ago.
“The purpose of the review is to understand exactly what happened, what decisions were made, when and if they were adequate,” Ms Washington said.
“What is the case with nearly all families that come into contact with the child protection system is that they are complex and there are interactions with various systems.
“There are a number of elements to this that we have been trying to get more information on.”
The woman has been charged with murder (DV). She will return to court at a later date.NSW Police Superintendent Chad Gillies previously said it was an “extremely confronting scene”.
“My priority at the moment now is to work through the investigation with detectives to understand exactly what happened and why it happened and, importantly as well, providing welfare to all the police that attended last night and through the investigation,” he said.
“Whenever a child is a victim of violent crime and whenever a child is murdered, it strikes at the core of community. That’s why it’s absolutely important we work through this methodically, we try to understand what’s happened, why it happened.
“From my perspective, we owe that to that little boy to make sure that we get the exact circumstances and present them to the court in due course, and that is the focus over the coming days and weeks for investigators.”
Tributes have flowed for the young boy, with a vigil held at the Wyong community pool on Monday afternoon.
Flowers, plush toys and candles were laid in memory of the boy, while the song “Forever Young” was played.
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